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The Siberian Cat, a trooper...in our opinion one of the best cat
breeds in the world.
The Siberian Cat originates in Russia. It is a semi long-haired cat, appreciated over the years for its’ sweet and affectionate temperament. The registrations of the Siberian Cat started in 1987 by the Kotofei Cat Club in St. Petersburg. It was soon followed by The Fauna Club in Moscow.
The
exact origin of the Siberian Cat is impossible to confirm due to lack of documentation. It's a Russian house cat breed. Just, like any stray cat, if given some food and a warm place to stay, it will gradually become more or less domesticated. Cats are good rodent hunters and were therefore imported to cities like Leningrad ( St. Petersburg) to keep the rats under control sometimes at the end of the 1940’s or the beginning of the 1950’s.
A stray cat has mostly low status in any country, especially after the World War II when Europe and former USSR were recovering from the long war.
The modern breeding started from these cats, taken to homes from the streets of Leningrad and Moscow.In the 1960´s the breeding was in small scale, but during the second Russian “revolution” when political system was reformed, the breeding started in larger scale. Export started as well, in the end of 1980’s. The breeders used different cats as foundations; they took them often from the streets. There were also importations from Northern Asia, this started in 1999.
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Sibcoon's El Dorado aka
"Buddha", above: 4 months old and below the same cat at
the age of 2 years
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Siberian Cat comes in traditional colours.
Unfortunately it comes also in with or with out the colourpointed
gene, the Siamese gene and it comes also in pointed colours,
except lilac and cinnamon. However, I do
not consider the colourpointed Siberian as a Siberian, it's a Neva
Masquerade, a manufactured breed with Siberian and Old type of
Siamese.
FIFe accepted the Neva Masquerade (NEM) as the
sister breed to the Siberian Cat.
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Lena
Nordström with FIN*Piperitan Bastet |
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The FIfe's Siberian cat model: Gelious Onyx Gloria, was a colourpoint carrier. Gelious is in many Siberian Cat pedigrees.
Many traditional Siberian pedigrees have colourpointed Siberians, i.e a cat called Mars who was a colourpoint,SIB a 09 21 33.
Not unusual that
colourpointed kittens are being born from two traditional coloured
Siberian Cat parents. This doesn't mean that it is
good to sell colourpoint carriers for breeding to such catteries that do not care and mix Neva Masquerade and Siberian cat.
Future
Hopefully, the
Siberian cat will preserve the type and we will see in the show
rings healthy, robust and strong looking Siberian Cats with
correct type.
Ofcourse, this depends on the judges aswell.
The breed might face undesired consequences like resembling the
traditional Persian cat if judges nominate and choose as BIS winner
"salong" Siberians where the authentic look of the Siberian cat is
replaced by the soft cuteness of
the traditional Persian cat. Luckily there are those judges
who feel responsible and appreciate the wild look of the this
breed.
For those who judge siberian
cats
Study
the breed and its' history and don't bring forward the traditional Persian
cat look in Siberians- do not encourage the breeders to do
extreme breeding with too small ears and too short muzzle, too long coat with
lots of fluff. Also, a Siberian should not have that fluffy
Persian cat grooming, instead the coat should look heavy and water
repellent.
Talk to true Siberian specialists, they are Russian by
the way. Check the bites, the tail knicks and do pay attention to
the coat quality. Also, please don't look for a domed forehead...it
should be slightly arched on a Siberian Cat. There is no Modern Type
of a Siberian...the modern type means the
traditional Persian
type
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An example how new the Siberian Cat is in West, the first imports:
USA 1990
Czech Republic 1987
Finland 1992
Sweden 1997, pets
Sweden 2000, breeding
South Africa 2000
United Kingdom 2002
Australia 2001
Yasmin S.
Editor in chief
All illegal copying is
forbidden and will be invoiced and reported to legal
authorities.
23.2.2010
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